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(01/26/16 9:03pm)
By Jennifer Goetz
Nation & World Editor
Here’s a look back on some of the most talked-about topics from the nation and world 2016 so far.
El Chapo: The known drug lord managed to escape from maximum security prison through a mirrored tunnel last summer, the New York Times reported, but on Friday, Jan. 8, he was finally recaptured in a gunfight.
Istanbul Explosion: A popular tourist area in Istanbul was attacked on Tuesday, Jan. 12, when an ISIS suicide bomber killed 10 people, CNN reported. This attack was similar to the other terrorist attacks in the recent months, such as in Paris, Beirut, Lebanon, Mali and Eygpt, the New York Times, reported. Bustling, populous places are becoming the norm for attacks such as this to occur.
The Powerball Hype: The New York Times reported that people had a greater chance of being struck by lightning than of winning the $1.6 billion lottery. Three winners have claimed the Powerball after it was announced on Wednesday, Jan 13, CNN reported.
Presidential race: Debates on both the Democratic and Republican sides have taken place over the past few weeks. The polls released by CNN on Monday, Jan. 25, reveal that Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders has 46 percent of the poll, while Hillary Clinton has 44 percent. For the GOP, Donald Trump is in the lead with 31 percent and is followed by Senator Ted Cruz at 26 percent, according to the same CNN poll. The Iowa Caucus will be on Monday, Feb. 1, according to the Washington Post.
Water Crisis in Michigan: According to the New York Times, thousands of people were exposed to water contaminated with lead. In response, President Barack Obama issued a state of emergency.
The Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association case: CNN reported that the Supreme Court will soon listen to a case that could make a difference about whether or not unions will be treated the same way as corportations. According to CNN, public school teachers in Northern California stepped forward to go protest paying dues to unions when they don’t agree with them. Union dues are not allowed in 25 states, and this decision could help eradicate mandatory union dues entirely, according to CNN. The unions maintain, however, that the money they are receiving is not for political purposes and mainly are benefitting all of the employees, whether they belong to the union or not.
Stock Market concerns: CNN reported that Dow dropped around 565 points Wednesday, Jan. 20. In 2016, the S&P 500 has fallen to 9 percent and the Dow has already dropped 1,658 points. The reason the Dow plunged on Jan. 20, is because of of the drop in crude oil prices. According to CNN, crude oil prices dropped below “27 dollars a gallon.” CNN reported that despite the concern, the stock market closed after losing just 247 points.
Detroit Teachers on Strike: Teachers made a statement by staging “walkouts” in protest of Detroit’s public schools conditions, according to CNN. The public schools went to court to put a halt to the sick outs, but as of Thursday, Jan. 21, the judged ruled in favor of the teachers, CNN reported.
Zika virus: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has issued a warning for pregnant women who plan on traveling to avoid countries that have had known cases of the Zika virus, according to CNN. This mosquito-born virus, according to CNN, has proven to cause birth defects.
Blizzard of 2016: Winter Storm Jonas slammed the east coast after a relatively warm winter. It left thousands without power and caused coastal flooding, reported the New York Times. According to CNN, at least 27 weather-related deaths were attributed to this storm. Schools across the east coast were canceled on Monday, Jan. 25, but CNN reported that for residents in the Washington, D.C. area, it will be another few days before the snow is fully removed.
(12/02/15 7:43pm)
By Jennifer Goetz
Staff Writer
The suspect in the Planned Parenthood shooting that occurred on Friday, Nov. 27, in Colorado Springs, Co., which left three dead and nine injured, told law officials, “no more baby parts,” after his surrender, according to USA Today.
The suspect, Robert L. Dear, has been found to express anti-abortion sentiment, but authorities say that alone is not enough for a motive. It was Black Friday when a gunman opened fire in a parking lot and aimed at officers arriving at the scene, the New York Times reported. The gunman, alleged to be Dear, came to the clinic and surrendered after SWAT teams crashed armored vehicles into the lobby, according to USA Today.
Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers told reporters that they can draw their own conclusions about why Dear allegedly opened fire near the clinic, USA Today reported. According to the New York Times, Dear, 57, surrendered to authorities almost five hours after the shooting initially began at 11:30 a.m.
Dear had been held in a Colorado Springs jail, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office told CNN, and he was due in court on Monday, Nov. 30. As of Nov. 30, Dear had not been charged, but USA Today reported that this incident created controversy over both gun control and abortion.
Three people were killed in the incident, including Garrett Swasey, a University of Colorado-Colorado Springs police officer who rushed to the clinic to help. Ke’Arre Stewart, 29, and Jennifer Markovsky, 35, were also killed in the shooting, according to CNN. USA Today reported that neither of them were Planned Parenthood staff.
President Obama released a statement in light of this shooting on Saturday, Nov. 28, according to CNN, in which he said that the gun violence “is not normal. We can’t let it become normal.” He told the American people that “we have to do something about the easy accessibility of weapons of war on our streets to people who have no business wielding them.”
Vicki Cowart, president of the Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, believes that this attack “was motivated by opposition to safe and legal abortion,” CNN reported.
Planned Parenthood is a clinic for women’s reproductive services and abortions. It recently faced political and social opposition, according to CNN, after eight undercover videos released this summer which alleged fetal organ sales.
CNN reported that Planned Parenthood maintains that the videos were highly edited and inaccurate.
This is the second shooting in a month for Colorado Springs USA Today reported. Last month, a gunman killed three people in the city’s downtown area before being shot and killed by police officers, according to USA Today.
(10/27/15 4:47pm)
By Jennifer Goetz
Staff Writer
Smells like team spirit?
It certainly did at the College’s annual Homecoming event on Saturday, Oct. 24, which concluded this year’s Spirit Week.
Homecoming is the culmination of school pride, with current students and alumni joining together in celebration. The day was packed full of events, including the announcements of the Homecoming spirit winner and the Homecoming king and queen, as well as the highly anticipated football matchup, tailgate and MainStage performances and activities.
Several organizations on campus competed in the College’s Spirit Week activities, with each team representing a different decade. There were a number of field events, including a three-legged race and a human pyramid with judges evaluating their performances for each.
The Lip Sync and Dance Competition, held at the Recreation Center on Friday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m., was a chance for spirit teams to use their “decade” to create a lip sync skit about the Lions football team prevailing over the Montclair Red Hawks during their Homecoming game, while the dance portion utilized fresh choreography to a mix of songs with the theme of their decade.
The Lions followed through for the Homecoming game at 1 p.m., delivering a 23-20 win in an exciting matchup. In the fourth quarter, the Lions scored a touchdown, followed closely by a Red Hawks touchdown, as well. But the Lions managed to keep their lead by the end of the game to edge out the Hawks and claim their first win of the season.
At halftime, the Homecoming court walked onto the field. Senior marketing major Alex Moskal from Phi Alpha Delta fraternity and senior accounting major Alyssa Blochlinger from Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority were named Homecoming king and queen.
At the end of the game, it was announced that the spirit team winner for 2015 was Delta Phi Epsilon and Co. as they channeled the 1920s for this Homecoming’s “Decades” theme.
Saturday’s tailgate, which ran from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., was held in lots 4 and 6. This gave students and alumni the chance to mingle, eat, drink and celebrate the College’s spirit. Lot 6 was designated for alumni and guests while Lot 4 was open to all, with colored wristbands separating those who were 21-years-old and above from those under the legal drinking age.
“(Homecoming is) packed full of things to do and it’s very entertaining,” sophomore chemistry major Nigel Sequeira said.
The MainStage at the Green Hall Lawn offered free food such as cotton candy, hot chocolate, apple cider and more to the students and alumni as they participated in the various activities, including an inflatable obstacle course. There, seven student organizations put on productions for those in attendance.
Jazmine Ramirez, a sophomore art major and a member of the Rebel Art Movement on campus, volunteered to face paint. According to Ramirez, it was a “fun little event” and there was a good turnout.
Megan Young, who graduated as a communication studies major last spring, was looking forward to returning. While at the College, she was a member of the Dance Team and Sigma Kappa sorority.
“This is the first time I’ve gotten the chance to spend a decent amount of time with all of my sisters and the dance team, and basically just reconnect more than I have in the past few months,” she said. “After graduating, you feel this disconnect when you all move home and it’s a lot harder to see each other when you’re two hours away. This is the first chance we’ve really been able to reminisce and be under one roof.”
Homecoming allows alumni to see what has changed about the school while still enforcing school spirit.
“I really just love the coming together,” Young said. “Being able to experience what some of the larger schools have, the (Division) I schools, to have that sort of athletic bond, has been a really great experience.”
(10/06/15 8:40pm)
By Jennifer Goetz
Staff Writer
The more the merrier.
The German government agreed to accept one million refugees in the midst of the European immigration crisis. Harald Leibrecht, president of the Cultural and Educational Programs Abroad foundation and former member of Bundestag, Germany’s legislative assembly, spoke to students on Tuesday, Sept. 29, to provide a German perspective on the matter.
Leibrecht, also a former German politician, explained Germany’s reasoning behind accepting the migrants and explained the situation at large.
According to Leibrecht, one of the biggest problems facing the world today has been the immigration crisis in Europe. Hundreds of men, women and children have died trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea in hopes of finding salvation in a European country.
Many of these migrants are fleeing their countries to start over with a clean slate and have a better shot at success in the future. Their own countries have been strained with economic and political turmoil, and some need to escape for the sake of their own safety.
“It was nice to hear from an actual German politician,” senior history major Evan Moran said.
Germany’s current population is around 85 million, while Munich, a city in Germany, has 80,000 citizens.
“It will not be easy to cope with,” Leibrecht said, but Germany looks toward the rest of Europe and the United States for support. “Germany was in a comfortable position.”
Germany is not on the European border, however, it is surrounded by other European countries. If the refugees seek political asylum in one of the first countries they make it to, such as Italy or Greece, they will have to stay there. The European Union has been working to amend these immigration policies, but until then, refugees are encouraged to wait to obtain asylum until they have reached countries, such as Germany, that are willing and capable of accepting them.
Even if it is a burden, Leibrecht believes having refugees in Germany will be helpful for the country in the long run. The refugees arriving — particularly the Syrians — are educated and Germany is “desperately in need of quality, intelligent people,” he said.
The German economic system is booming right now, slated as one of the strongest economies today with the current rate of unemployment being around 2 percent. Germany also runs on a pension system, according to Leibrecht, and soon enough people will have to retire and the younger generation will help support the previous one.
Most of the migrants are in that younger generation. Germany is trying to focus on how to accommodate the refugees with housing, and will then focus on how to properly integrate them into the German society, according to Leibrecht.
While the German government has agreed to take these refugees into the country, there are still officials and groups that disapprove. Some advocate for the exact opposite approach: to close the borders. These government officials believe that there are too many people to allow such an influx of refugees into their country and that it is not worth the risk to security.
“Our enemies might find themselves in the heart of Europe,” Leibrecht said.
He knows that ISIS members will likely blend in with the other refugees. The NeoNazi political party in Germany is strictly against foreigners coming into the country and have been protesting. However, Leibrecht said that many people are willing to take on the refugees with open arms.
“No one will be left out for the fear that not-nice people will make it in,” he said.
(10/02/15 12:02am)
By Jennifer Goetz
Staff Writer
The Humanitarian Yoga Club is here to spread physical and mental wellness to the campus. Now a fully recognized club, the Humanitarian Yoga Club aims to combine the art of yoga with community service, helping not only the campus community, but the local and global community as well. This club has already hosted successful events this year and has more events planned for the next upcoming months.
The Humanitarian Yoga Club teamed up with Theta Phi Alpha sorority to host the College’s second annual Yogathon on Sunday, Sept. 20. This all-day event on the ABE lawn was donation-based, with a $3 suggested donation.
“We always do donation-based,” said Gina Costanzo, a junior special education and iSTEM major double and president and founder of the club. “We want to make (yoga) accessible to everybody.”
Yogathon lasted from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with events throughout the day that varied in difficulty. This gave everyone who attended the chance to either learn some yoga basics, try more advanced techniques or to relax and meditate. Members of this club were quick to praise the event. Juniors Lindsey Drubel and Katie Boaggio, members who attended the Yogathon, both agreed that the event was a success.
“I did the All Levels class in the morning and it was very nice,” said Boaggio, a physics major.
Both Drubel and Boaggio felt that the event was well put together and liked getting henna tattoos that the members provided.
“I think it went really well,” Costanzo said. “We had a good variety of people, so there were different people at the different events instead of the same people coming and staying all day.”
Overall, about 60 people attended Yogathon that day.
Even without a mandatory cost, the club raised $105.
“All the money we earn through fundraising goes right back into the club,” said Monica Murphy, a junior with a self-designed speech language pathology major. With the money raised from this single event, the club can put it toward more activities for the spring.
Another event offered to the on-campus community took place on Sunday, Sept. 27. The Humanitarian Yoga Club and Phi Sigma Sigma hosted a Supermoon Lunar Eclipse Yoga event, which was held on the ABE lawn as well. Students that attended were able to practice yoga late at night and although the supermoon wasn’t visible, the sky was lit up orange, creating a beautiful backdrop.
Aside from the on-campus events, The Humanitarian Yoga Club meets weekly at 2 p.m. on Wednesdays in the Rec Center. At meetings members discuss past events, community service opportunities and up-and-coming events. Afterward, Costanzo, a certified yoga instructor, goes through yoga poses step-by-step so members can learn how to perform the yoga correctly. She demonstrates what to do (and what not to do). This way members will be able to help volunteer to teach yoga to children, people with physical disabilities, or even their friends. At this past weeks meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 23, members learned how to complete a full sun salutation.
One of the goals the club has set this semester is to expand its membership.
“So many people didn’t know about the club last semester and we want to get the word out,” Costanzo said.
Costanzo decided that combining humanitarian work and yoga would make a successful club. She wants to “spread what yoga truly is around campus.”
The club encourages students to try yoga because a student may not be the strongest or the most flexible, but that doesn’t mean they can’t do it.
(09/23/15 11:05pm)
By Jennifer Goetz
Staff Writer
People often put their lives in the hands of doctors — but health activist Ileana Balcu cautions that individuals should also look into additional sources for healthcare information. She presented her own personal story and the stories of other doctors or patients that agree with the use of online communication in Mayo Concert Hall on Friday, Sept.18.
“Have you ever gone on the internet and brought an article to your doctor?” Balcu said, a health program manager for IT systems. No hands shot up to that question. Balcu encouraged the audience to consider that approach the next time they have a question for their doctors about something they’ve found online. The generation today has the power and technology to change the healthcare industry for the better, according to Balcu. Healthcare needs to be "digital, clear, fast and fluid."
She provides examples of patients who have used the Internet to explore their options. One of them is a patient named Dave, who learned from doctors that he had 24 weeks to live. Taking matters into his own hands, he went online and discovered a treatment that ended up keeping him alive. E-patients are engaged, equipped, empowered and enabled, according to Balcu.
Online doctors could also be a popular feature of future healthcare. Balcu draws attention to doctors who have already embraced the internet and other forms of social media. Massachusetts Dr. Danny Sands feels that patients and doctors need to be on the same page, and “we all need to know the same thing.” Sports medicine orthopedist Dr. Howard Luks utilizes social media to connect with his patients.
Balcu told her own personal tragedy when she lost her baby from preeclampsia. She was diligent throughout her pregnancy, but the lack of communication between the doctor and the lab with test results was the problem. However, Balcu is not blaming anyone for the loss of her baby.
“What I felt cheated on was... I kept asking if there was anything I can do. And they said there’s nothing you could do.”
She went on to become the director of IT at the Preeclampsia Foundation, where she was introduced to a patient support system with women who had gone through the same condition.
Balcu wants patients to know there is something they can do and that is to have a network, which doctors should have, too. Patients need to go to family and friends for emotional support and advice, to go doctors for a diagnosis and they need to turn to the internet to see what they can learn for themselves.
“Doctors need a safety net, and so do patients,” Balcu said. Individuals should keep track of their own medical records, know their information and “distinguish good from garbage.”
Balcu had another child who is now a healthy 10-year-old boy. She even shared a video displaying her son’s musical talents.
“That kid was worth every blood pressure I ever took,” Balcu said, “With him, I did everything I could.” During this pregnancy, she took it upon herself to look into her options and explore other opinions.
“Doctors are doctors and need to tell us things,” says Balcu — even if they are unpleasant. But still, Balcu believes patients should speak up.
“You need to ask questions,” Balcu said. "Why did (he or she) make that decision? Make your doctor think.”